Location:
Pansy Bayou is located at the southern end of Sarasota Bay and inside
the northern end of Lido Key, which is approximately 2 miles to the west
of the City of Sarasota in the Gulf of Mexico. Longboat Key lies to the
north and Siesta Key lies to the south of Lido Key. Gulf waters enter
Sarasota Bay via New Pass located just to the north of Pansy Bayou. Although
dredged in the center, Pansy Bayou maintains extensive fringing seagrass
beds consisting of primarily Cuban shoal grass.
Date of
Seagrass Protection Zone Authorization:
January, 1992
Authorization:
Section 62N-22.026 (1)(c), F.A.C.; Specific Authority Section 370.12(2)(f),
(n), (o), F.S.
Wording
on Signs:
One 4'x3' metalic sign mounted on the northeast face of the John
Ringling Boulevard bridge separating City Island and St. Armands Key bridge
reads, "Manatee Zone, No Entry, Residents Only". Another
informational sign mounted on the shore of the same causeway facing land
in a northeast direction reads, "Manatee Zone, No Entry, Boating,
Swimming, Diving, Wading Prohibited".
Enforcement:
Sarasota County Sheriff’s Department and Florida Marine Patrol.
Enforcement
Action:
Violations of no entry zones are treated as misdemeanors with citations
provided to the vessel operator and associated fines levied pursuant to
Section 370.021(2) (a) or (b), F.S. If violators of these zones demonstrate
blatant or willful action, they may be found guilty of manatee harassment
as described in Section 370.12(2)(d), F.S. Note: " No Entry"
zones in Chapter 62N-22, F.A.C act as manatee sanctuaries. As such, entry
by people in any form (i.e. boat, on foot, etc.) is a violation. Residents
requiring access to waterfront property along Pansy Bayou are issued no
cost permits, the possession of which is signified by a decal affixed
to a promient location on the owner’s vessel entering the zone. Permits
are issued by the Bureau of Protected Species Management within FDEP.
History:
Pansy Bayou consistently demonstrated the highest frequency of
manatee use in Sarasota County on a year-round basis according to Mote
Marine Laboratory aerial survey monitoring data. As many as ten manatees
have been observed at one time in this relatively small waterway feeding
on abundant seagrass and resting. Greater than fifty identifiable individual
manatees have been observed over a short time period using this small
area indicating its importance to the regional manatee population. During
the development of speed zone regulations in Sarasota County, FDEP staff
determined that Pansy Bayou should be a manatee sanctuary to offset a
compromised high speed water ski area adjacent to the bayou. A narrow
entry into Pansy Bayou is maintained from the adjacent water ski area.
This access corridor is shallow and also contains significant seagrass
communities. The Pansy Bayou no entry zone provides a sanctuary for manatees
from locally high levels of vessel traffic and has proven to experience
increased use by manatees since its establishment. Seagrass is indirectly
protected from boat damage, as seagrass beds are removed from the main
homeowner access channel in the system.
Map of the Pansy Bayou No Entry Zone in Sarasota County
